Cigarette snuffer



Feb. 27, 1934. p. HAMM 1,948,880

CIGARETTE SNUFFER Filed April 22. 1932 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 27, 1934 @UNTD STATES PATENT GFFQ 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a cigarette snuier. The principal object of the invention is to provide a snuffer which is simple and cleanly in its use and which can be used to sever the end from a partly smoked cigarette without crushing or deforming the remainder of the cigarette. The form of the snuier herein shown is of a convenient size to be carried in the pocket of the user. However, the invention is not to be limited thereby to a pocket snufier since a similar construction could be used attached to an ash tray or mounted on a convenient base for use on a smoking table.

The principal feature of the invention resides in the provision of a pair of nesting bowl-shaped members resiliently carried on a common support and normally maintained in separated position by their resilient support. The upper one of said members nests within the lower and serves as a receptacle for the thumb of the user in pressing the two members together. The lighted end of a cigarette is placed between the two members and they are then pressed together. The ashes and other residue of the lighted end are thus trapped in the bowl oi the lower member and may be dumped therefrom into an ash tray without danger oi spilling. The edges of the lower member are formed to engage the undersurface of the upper member and the said edges are formed to cut the lighted end from the cigarette. The bowls are so formed that a space is provided therebetween for the retention of the ashes if it is not convenient to dump them out immediately after using. Thus the snufer may even be returned to the pocket ci the user without spilling the ashes.

Other objects and features of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the snuier. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional .view ci the same. Figure 3 is a plan view of the lower bowl-shaped member oi a second form of the snuier. Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the said second form.

In Figure l there is shown an upper bowlshaped member l0 and a similar lower member 1l. The upper member is of slightly smaller size than the lower and nests within the same when the two are pressed together as shown in Figure 2. A shank 12 is attached to the upper member and a similar shank 13 is attached to the lower member. The said Shanks are united at 14 and are formed of resilient metal which normally tends to separate the two bowl-shaped members. A yoke 15 surrounds the two Shanks 12 and 13 and serves to maintain the bowl-,shaped members in engagement with each other when the device is not in use. When it is wished to use the device, the said yoke is slipped along the Shanks until it reaches the portions 16 thereof. The said portions 16 approach each other more closely than other portions of the shanks and therefore the resilience oi the Shanks is free to separate the bowlwshaped members. In the use of the device, the lighted end of a cigarette is inserted between the bowl-shaped members, the thumb of the user is pressed into the upper member 10 while the device is held in one hand and the bowls are thus pressed together, extinguishing the cigarette. It will be seen in Figure 2 that the edge 17 of the lower member engages the lower surface of the upper member l0. The said edge is preferably formed as a cutting edge and serves to sever the lighted end from the cigarette. The remainder of the cigarette is not damaged by this process and may be relighted when desired.

It will be seen 'that the ashes and other residue which are severed from the cigarette are caught in the lower bowl 1l which forms a receptacle therefor. When the users thumb is removed from the upper member, these ashes may be dumped into an ash tray without danger of spilling. The

shapes or the two bowls are such that the edge of the lower bowl engages the undersurface ci the upper one substantially around its entire periph* ery when the two are tightly pressed together. A space 20 is then left between the bowls in which the ashes may remain without spilling when the yoke 15 is moved into position to maintain the bowls in contact. In this condition the snuier may be returned to the pocket of the user with the ashes retained therein without danger of spilling.

The use of the snui'er in its pocket form by campers in dry weather also eliminates much of the danger from forest fires and grass res ca 1sed by lighted cigarettes carelessly thrown away.

In Figures 3 and 4., an alternative form of the lower bowl of the snuffer is shown in which there is provided a concave indentation 18 in the outer edge. The margin 19 of the said indentation is formed as a cutting edge. This form of the invention results in even less damage to the remaining portion of the cigarette than does the previous form since the concave margin of the indentation 18 more nearly ts the shape of the cigarette.

In Figure 3 there is also shown an alternative Y engage the upper surface of shank 12. In the use of this form of yoke the bowls are pressed together by hand and the end 22 of the bar is slipped over the shank l2 to hold the bowls in engagement.

The invention clailned is:

l. A cigarette snufer including a pair of superposed, nesting bowl-shaped members, and a resilient connection therefor normally maintaining the same in separated position, the lowermost of said bowl-shaped members having a concave indentation in one edge and the margin of said edge forming a cutting edge impinging upon the undersurface or" the uppermost of said members when said members are pressed together for severing the lighted end from a cigarette.

2. A cigarette snuier including an upper and a lower member hingedly connected and forming together a receptacle for cigarette ashes, one of said members having a concave indentation in one margin and the edge of said indentation cooperating with a portion of the other member to sever the lighted end of a cigarette when said members are pressed together.

3. A cigarette snuiTer including an upper and a lower member, a resilient connection therefor normally maintaining the same in separated position, and means for retaining said members in engagement with each other, said members being formed to provide a closed space therebetween for the retention of ashes when so engaged, one of said members having a concave indentation in one margin and the edge of said indentation cooperating with a portion of the other member to sever the lighted end from a cigarette when said members are pressed together.

PHILLIP HAMM. 

